Joey Barton on Twitter after being ignored for the England squad: "Looks like I am gonna have to buy an England top, like everyone else now........ #nophonecall" I hope this is a joke. It's not the best England squad i've seen, especially in midfield, but there is no way that Joey deserves a call-up. He hasn't been half as effective at QPR. If he hadn't done enough to deserve a call up with us, I can't see whats possibly changed.
Aren't they the self same words he used after not being selected the last time? Or is it just a recycled twitter message?
No I think this is a recent one AB. It followed a tongue in cheek comment he made about reluctantly coming out of international retirement because Pearce had asked nicely. I think Joey knows the FA would never allow him to be picked regardless of form. At present he'll feel a million miles from international recognition. He's heading for the championship.
I still think he can do it in the PL to be honest. He looked great for us early doors. I have no doubt he'll have a release clause like they all do now, and will sign for a promoted side picking up a small fortune.
Got nothing against Joey, I'd like to see him do well. Going to be a bit of a dog fight among QPR, Blackburn, Wolves, Bolton and Wigan.
Yes Barton has been **** this season but there is another question that needs answering. What the **** is Tom Cleverly doing in the squad? Sweet Jesus!
It may be tongue-in-cheek but it's undeniable that he has some underlying resentment/inferiority complex that he only has 1 cap. This season was his chance and he's blown it - not by being stupid, just by not being good enough. I feel sorry for him. He's like a dying star without his supernova
I think they'll struggle but I do think Hughes will get it right there eventually. It is simply going to be a case of survival and build. I don't think Joey has done too bad for QPR from what I've seen. England form? nah and I'd prefer us to start building for 2014 anyway as we have no hope in 2012, we're not good enough.
Barton isn't international class, just like Nolan isn't. They're good, sometimes very good on their day, but they don't have the legs to play 90 or 120 minutes vs top opposition and that is precisely way they should never be in the england squad. Just like someone like Guthrie never will be. They're alright footballer but they simply don't have the physique (or maybe it's a question of fitness attitude). Someone like Carrick is just way better. And he can hardly get in the squad. I'd much rather see someone like Leighton Baines play on the left wing for england and show what he can do. Englands been without a good left wing player in more than a generation. Milner is another player who's like Barton and Nolan. Tries hard, does well, but at the end of the doesn't have the pace to do anything meaningful on the international stage, where you either have to be very fast and fit, very talented or very reliable/composed.
I agree about Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, I think they fall just short. Barton had a slim chance last year on form because others were injured/out of form. But he will never be picked by England and never would have been regardless. I always chuckled at the supposed overlooking of him. Even if good enough it was never going to sit well with the suits. Milner I think is slighty different, as a squad player his versatility across the midfield areas is useful and if you needed someone to come on and sure up an area he'd be your man. Also when Milner plays centrally, where pace and beating people is not a major issue, he has looked a better player for me. I think he understands the game and those players always look better in the middle. Of course young Cleverley looks similar but with more pace and higher technical levels. Not sure about Baines on the left wing, but he is certainly Coles natural successor. Has a touch of class and seems a very steady character. Adam Johnson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Young are the lads I'd like to see in our wide areas. I'd also like to see us abandon wingers sometimes and use three pronged attacks. The likes of Sturridge, Welbeck have been brought up playing this way.
Disagree about Milner, he's a very dangerous player as he is totally two-footed and actually can cross, unlike many wingers (Walcott springs to mind immediately).
Walcott has never progressed that much for me. Already Oxlade-Chamberlain looks better because he is strong on the ball where Walcott is still weak as piss at times, has great technique whereas Walcott looks like a runner who plays football, and just all round convinces he understands the game better. Walcott has been decent this year for Arsenal but I'd hate to be relying on him if the heat was on.
I know many arsenal fans who would disagree with that. He has been woeful for the majority of this season. Makes poor decisions, no end product, gives the ball away, ineffective dribbling.....he's just an english Obertan!!! lol Agree about AOC though, he should deffo be in the seniors next week.
I say decent because he started like a house on fire and was one of their top assisters early doors. His form like the rest of the squad has completely tailed off. Unfortunately for their fans they only remember the last two months. I have a couple of mates who Arsenal fans (from London not traitors haha), and they were waxing about him early on saying he had finally made the step forward. He'll end up a striker for me but just a half decent one because of his pace.
